Self and geo



(No Model.)

J. H. WILLMMS.

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 306,449. Patented Oct. 14, y1884.

INT/ ENTOR iff N. PETins. Phuwumngnpher. wnhingwn. n.6.

. iinrTnn STaTns PATTNT Ormes,

JOHN H. VILLIAMS, OF BRATTLEBOROUGH, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF ANDGEO. W'. HOOKER, OF SAME PLAGE.

CAR-COUPLENG.

SPECIFICATQN forming part of Letters Patent Na 306,449, dated October14.1-, 1884.

Application Illed March 15. l8S4. (No model.)

l'o a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. VILLIAMs, of Brattleborbugh, in the countyof NVindom and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andto the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved coupling for useupon railroad cars, and particularly for use uponfreightcars, whichshall be simple, strong, durable, and inexpensive, and which shall beautomatic in its action and dispense entirely with the necessity ofgoing between cars, either for the purpose of coupling or uncoupling,and which, furthermore, shall be so constructed as to automaticallyuncouple when from any cause the car to which it is attached becomesderailed, andthus prevent unnecessary damage to the car derailed, and atthe same time prevent the derailed car from dragging the other cars fromthe track.

' I will first describe my improvements in detail, and will then pointout the particular points of novelty in the claims at the end of thisspecification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a bottom plan view ofthe ends of two cars provided with couplings constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of one of the cars, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailview of two couplings in engagement.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

The letter A indicates the drawbar of the coupling. This draw-bar isformed with a hooked outer end or head, B, having, preferably, a roundedor curved surface, b, and a slightly undercut shoulder, c, as shown.Itis further provided with a second shoulder, d, also preferablyundercut, and with upper and lower flanges, c e, as shown. The inner endof the draw-bar terminates at b', and to it is connected a strap, f,which incloses suitable crossheads or plates, g g', which are arrangedwithin suitable guides or hangers, h h, secured to the under side of thecar, so as to slide freely back and forth therein. A spring, g2, isinterposed between the cross-heads f/ and g', b said spring` beingpreferably of spiral form. Vhen there is a forward draft upon thedrawbar, the rear plate, g', is drawn forward and causes a compressionof the spring g2; but when there is an inward thrust upon the draw-barthe forward plate, g, is pressed backward and likewise compresses thespring. The drawbar is mounted so as to be capable of swinging laterallybackward and forward without causing the strapf to bind upon thecross-heads or plates or the plates to become cramped in their guides.Pins x fr on the front of the rear cross-heads or plates, respectively,serve to limit the lateral motion of the draw-bar. A yoke or hanger, L,is secured to the under side of the car, and serves to support thedrawbar in a horizontal position, and while it prevents the draw-barfrom vertical movement, it does not prevent its vlateral vibration, butserves as a guide to facilitate such vibration. 7F A spring, S, of anysuitable form or construction, is applied to the back of the draw-bar atany suitable point, and serves to keep the latter pressed inward againsta suitable stop, n, and in position for engagement with the drawbar ofan adjoining car.

Vhen two cars provided with couplings constructed as above describedapproach each other on the same track, the forward inclined or curvedfaces of thehooked ends of the drawbars come in contact, and each of thedrawbars yields laterally until the shoulders c pass each other,whereupon the draw-bars spring in toward each other, and thus as thecars further approach the hooked end of each dra'w- 9o bar rides overand behind the shoulder c on the opposite draw-bar, as shown in fulllines in Figs. I and 4, thus completing the couplingin an automaticmanner and without the neeessity of an attendant going between the earsfor the purpose, or of giving any attention whatever to the matter.

Vhen two of my draw-heads are coupled as described, it will be seen thatthere is allowed a play or lost motion between them equal to thedistance between the forward faces of the shoulders d of the oppositedrawheads. This amount of play corresponds to the play which is found inan ordinary link-andpin coupling, and is necessary in any coupling thatis designed particularly for use upon freight-cars, for that class ofcouplings which tend to make the train solid cannot be practicallyapplied IOO to freight-cars, which arein practice made up I other car,and it may be held at any point by in trains of twenty, thirty, forty,or more heavily-loaded cars, because the amount of weight required to bestarted at the outset is too great for the capacity of any locomotivethat is used. It is because of this that such couplings as the Millercoupling have never been practically applied to freight-cars.

In my coupling, as in the ordinary link-andpin coupling7 the playbetween the draw-heads enables the locomotive to start each car in suc-ycession, and theinertia of those cars which are rst started assists thelocomotive in effecting a starting of the succeeding cars, and in thisway long and heavy trains which could not be moved at the start insolido are enabled to be started with facility.

rIhe amount of play allowed in my coupling can of course be regulated atpleasure by varying the distance between theforward shoulder, c, and thevrear shoulder, d, of each drawbar.

Another advantage tobe derived from the use of my couplingr onfreight-cars is that the intervals between the cars are enabled to bemade uniform, so that a brakeman in running over the tops ofthe carswill not be liable to fall between by reason of a miscalculation ofdistance. Y v g c To provide for the coupling` of cars o f varyingheights, the rear shoulder of each drawbar is made long enoughvertically to afforda bearing for the hook of an approaching car,whether such hook be higheror lower. Not much latitude is required inthis respect, as I have found from practical observation of the cars often different railroads that the variation between the height of thedraw-heads was not more than two or three inches.

It will be observed that in my coupling the draft is applied to eachdraw-bar at two different points-to wit, at the forward shoulder,

'I c, and at the rear shoulder,d. The engagement of the 'draw-barsv ateither of these points would be sufficient to answer for a safe andreliable coupling, but the double provision makes the connection doublystrong, and in case of injury to one or the other of theengaging-shoulders the remaining one would suffice.

rIhe construction of the couplings is such that should from any causeone of the ears become derailed it will automatically disengage itselffrom the train, and thereby be prevented from becoming injured by beingdragged along when olf the track, or from tending to derail other carsof the train.

To uncouple my draw-bars it is only necessary that one or both of themshould be drawn laterally, so as to disengage the respective shoulders.For the purpose of effecting this I preferably connect to the back ofeach drawbar a chain that is also connected to a vertical shaft having asuitable windingnvheel and retaining-ratchet, as shown'in the drawings.By

winding up this shaft the draw-bar is moved laterally out of the path ofthe draw-bar of anmeans of the ratchet.

Where the invention is applied to a box-car, 1

other at the bottom-so that the draw-bar may be shifted and lockedeither from the top of the car or from the side of the car, and withn,

out the necessity of going for the purpose.

When the two draw-bars are placed in connection,the forward portion ofthe shoulders d, by cooperating, serve as bumpers to receive theconcussion due to the coming together of the cars, the effect of suchconcussion being modied or taken up by the spring at the inner end ofthe draw-bar, as will be readily understood.

In order to adapt the coupling for connection to draw-heads of ordinaryconstruction, I provide in the end of its head or hook a suitable slotor recess for receiving an ordinary link; and I also provide a pin-hole:leading into said recess for the reception of an ordinary pin.

between the cars Having thus described my invention, l claim RS 116W- 1.The herein-described draw-bar,having the y inner engaging-shoulder, andwith the springs applied to the draw-bars for holding them inengagement, substantially as described. y

4. rIhe combination of the draw-bars having the forward shouldered hookand the inner engaging-shoulder, and supported as described, with thewinding-shaft, its wheel or wheels and ratchet or ratchets, and thechain, the whole constructed and arranged substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupling, t-he combination of a spring seated laterallyswinging draw bar having a shouldered hook at its outer end and an innerengaging shoulder, whereby when said draw-bar is engaged with acorrespondingly-formed draw-bar on another car the forward part of theinner engaging-shoulder of the latter will be adapted to operate as abuffer 'against the inner engaging-shoulder of the opposite draw-bar,and through the latter transfer the shock to the springor springs behindthe draw-bar, substantially as described.

i JOHN II. WILLIAMS4 Witnesses:

FRED J1 CHURCH, CRAs. R. BURR.

